1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to digital images and, more particularly, to the transmission of digital images.
2. Description of Related Art
It is generally known today to be able to capture digital images and transmit the images over networks from one location to another. Generally speaking, an image-capturing mechanism will function to capture the digital image, and a network interface will function to transmit the image onto a network for receipt by a destination entity. The image-capturing mechanism and network interface can be situated in separate devices. For instance, an image-capturing mechanism situated in a digital camera, and a network interface situated in a personal computer to which the camera is connected by a cable connection. Alternatively, the image-capturing mechanism and network interface can be integrated (permanently or temporarily) into a unitary device, such as a camera phone or other network-capable (e.g., wirelessly equipped) digital camera.
An exemplary image-capturing mechanism comprises an image sensor, which is a semiconductor device that detects light indicative of an image and provides an electronic representation of the image to be stored as an array of pixels. And an exemplary network interface comprises a network interface card or other module, which can provide for wireless and/or wired network communication.
By way of example, a camera phone typically includes both digital camera function and cellular wireless communication function. In most cases, the cellular wireless communication function provides for wireless packet data communication (e.g., 3 G communication), so that the camera phone can engage in IP communication with network servers and other entities via a cellular carrier's radio access network. More particularly, the camera phone establishes a radio link with the RAN and a data link (e.g., point to point protocol (PPP) link) with a gateway such as a packet data serving node (PDSN). Through those links, the camera phone sends and receives packet data over a packet-switched network such as the carrier's core packet network and/or the Internet.
As another example, a personal computer or other Internet Protocol (IP) telephone having an IP connection receives an image captured by a digital camera, optical scanner or other device, and then similarly transmits the image onto a packet-switched network for receipt by a destination entity.
In an arrangement commonly employed with camera phones, a digital image is transmitted together with a destination-identifier to a designated network server on the packet-switched network. A destination-identifier indicates to the network server where the image is to be sent. Exemplary destination-identifiers comprise an e-mail address or telephone number of a given party. Upon receipt of the image and destination-identifier, the network server may then use the destination-identifier as a basis to forward the image along to the given party. An exemplary given party comprises a remote camera phone, a personal computer coupled with a telephone, another network server, a user, or some other entity.
Upon receipt of a digital image transmitted in this or some other manner, a user may then perform various functions with respect to the image. For instance, the user may view the image, forward the image to others, print the image, or modify the image.